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Show CHARLIE F0S3. Ride Willi the Volorau Jehu of California Wo had been told beforo leaving tho hotel that tho otag.- stnppid in Fossville, and the p.ts-iengers stopped at the residence of Foss, the Geyser driver (whose name is known over the whole work!), for lunch; but there was no hope of getting the old mun to give us a specimen ol his driving, for he had given it up entirely to Charlie Fo;s, his son. Mr. Priei; told us to Hatter tho old man; he was very gruff and rude, but we must not be bin tied ; to tlatler him, and pay no attention to his short answers; ask for his picture, and as a last resort mention men-tion the press that would bring him to terms, for ho liked to be written up in the press. "I'll wager my quicksilver mine against a lead pencil that he will get out his fine, crack six-horse team and best wagon und carry you to Calistog-i himself. " Well, 1 inwardly determined if flattery flat-tery would win me a ride with the best-known of all California's whips, then (lattery should not bo spared. Foss is a rich man. Ho has a pretty, nicely furnished wiiito frame house, surrounded by fruit orchards and gardens of great beau'y. White- robed Chinese boys slipped uoisolt.-sly about, carrying trays aud attonding to the housework. Wo sat down to a dinner ol fried chicken, biscuit and peas and all delicacies- of fruit and cake, and had cotlue enriche-d by real ; cream. Tho house is as neat as . hands can make it, and Mrs. Fuss, tk -young aud rosy -cheeked wo-1 man, is the presiding genius I of tho place. She is a second j wife, and her husband u old j enough lo be her father. She led us, : alter dinner to inspect the whips j given Mr. Foss by difL-rent asaocia-1 t:ons and different frauds. They were hung ostentatiously on racks, like the armorial ensigns of u baronial bull. "This one waB given by Mr. j Ralston, a short time before bis death," she said, lifting a long whip, j gold-mounted and Hashing with jew-j els. '"It is a six-horse whip, audi cost $10,000." We were awe-struck. Gin Bull's fiddle bow was not to bu compared to it. There were silver-mounted silver-mounted whips, embroidered and ivnry -handled whip.-, whips loug and short, ind thiuk and slender, black whips and white whips, whips of all ages, sizes and complexions. Truly, ( this man Kass must be a prince of a jockey. We inwanlly resolved to see him drive. I first told him I had ' come all tho way from Kentucky to his home, aud I could never think of kiAving the home of Fuss, or bidding Mr. Fosa adieu without having seen a j specimen of his world-renowned driv- I ing. I was met by crusty answers, i Percy followed suit, throwing in an I artful word now and then. He posi- I lively rclused to go. He was too old. i People thought lie had nothing to 1 do but show off by Hying around the i country with pleasure parties. There i upon we sealed ourselves and anuoun- I ced our intention ofnever leaving the home ol Foss until Foss himself promised to drive to Cahstoga. Mrs. Foss was laughing in the corner all tho time. She had told us be was childish and liked to be teased to go, and if we said we wouldn't leave, he would take it as a compliment. She had put us up to all this tafk. We asked for one of his distinguished pictures, and ho brought us a cigar-iiox cigar-iiox full of photographs, and gave us leave to ee.feet, each, on. He g.wc away three thousand last year. Tl.t, therefore, was no unusual favor to get his picture. We then slipped bits of pasteboard in bis hands, bearing the magic Cornier-Journal and Pittsburgh Chronicle. That brought him around. In twenty minutes his groom announced an-nounced the wagon, and in triumph Percy and myself clambered into the gay wagou, brighter with vermiHion and gold than ever a circus wagon dared to be. Mr. Herring of Chicago, who happened to be going to Calis-toga, Calis-toga, and Mr. Garret, the driver who brought ue from the Geysers, composed com-posed our wagon load. Foss, a big, red-faced, curly-headed giant, mount ed the high front seat. The horses all stood with drooping beads, no life about them. He suddenly sprung to his teet with a wild whoop, and cutting cut-ting of the whip lash right and left. Every horse sprang, and jumped along tho road. They did not run, but jumped, iu perfect time, like trained engine horses. It seemed as though we were Hying through the air, we went so fist. I held on my hat with one hand and held on to the seat with the other, and Bhut my eyes, for the wind seemed to cut my eyeballs. I heard the panting horses, and felt the foam flying from their mouths against my face. This was an exciling lime. I never bad dreamed of such speed as ibis. We soon whirled over tue six miles intervening between Fossville and Calistoga. As we entered the streets of the latter town, we heard boys shouting, "Here's Foss, with his big team." And men ran to the doors and women to the house win-dowi, win-dowi, and small boys and dogs joined in a race in the rear of our wagon. When we were in the midst of the public square" he said in an ordinary voice, "That will do," and every horse stopped suddenly as though shot. "Try it again," he said, and they bounded forward at their old gait; he ran them right up against the engine at the depot. "Ladies, come a cool day and I will show you some fast driving. It's too hot to- aay to uo mucn in tuai. uue niej-eight niej-eight in the shade. I only made the six miles in twenty minutes." We had all timed him and found this correct. Mr. Herring of the American Ameri-can express company, can vouch for the time. He laughed heartily at our incredulity. "I wish you a good day; a pleasant journey. I'm a rough old fellow, but I have a good heart, and nobody will say Foss ever cheated in anything. Farewell, ladies, and come again to Fossville." Cor, Cott-rier-Journvl. |